Aprilia rider Jorge Martin was on Friday, 31 October 2025 officially cleared to compete in the Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, overcoming serious doubts about his fitness after fracturing his wrist in a crash at the Australian Grand Prix Sprint. The 2024 MotoGP champion is now confirmed to race this weekend despite carrying a non-displaced fracture of the distal radius in his right hand.

How Martin Earned His Race Clearance

Martin's participation for the full Malaysian GP weekend had been far from certain. He was initially granted clearance only for Free Practice 1 (FP1) on Friday morning, with his status for the remainder of the event left open. According to an official MotoGP statement, Martin completed 12 laps in FP1 and finished within 2 seconds of the session's fastest lap, set by Marc Marquez of the Ducati Lenovo Team. That performance was sufficient for race officials to clear him for the full weekend.

'In FP1, Martin did 12 laps and was within 2 seconds off the fastest lap in the session, set by Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team). 2024 Champion Martin was subsequently passed fit for the Malaysian GP and will continue competing in the weekend,' MotoGP confirmed in its statement.

The Extent of Martin's Injury

The fracture was sustained during the Sprint race at the Australian Grand Prix the previous Saturday. Martin's injury is described as a non-displaced fracture of the distal radius in his right hand — the hand controlling both the brake and the throttle. By his own admission, Martin is not fully fit. He revealed he could not even perform basic tasks with the affected hand before heading out on track.

'I still cannot brush my teeth (with the right hand); I do it with the left hand, so I cannot do almost anything, but maybe I can ride,' Martin said, as quoted by a leading motorsport publication.

What Martin Said About Racing Through the Pain

Ahead of receiving his full-weekend clearance, Martin was candid about the difficulty of his situation while making clear his determination to compete. The stakes of the title fight, he said, left him no real choice but to try.

'I feel good. For sure, I could be worse; I could be better,' he was quoted as saying. 'Now we achieved the first step, that is to try to ride and then let's see my condition, let's see my feeling, and then we will decide what to do next, if I continue with the GP or not.'

He also acknowledged the specific challenge posed by the Sepang circuit layout. 'It's the right hand, which is the brake and the throttle. It's a right-corner circuit. So overall, it doesn't look great, but let's see tomorrow,' he added. Notably, the only reason he has pushed through the injury, he said, is the title fight: 'Otherwise I will be in a house with a cast for one month.'

Title Fight: Martin vs Marquez With Four Rounds Left

Martin heads into the Malaysian GP trailing seven-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez by 10 points in the standings. With four rounds remaining in the season — including this one at Sepang — the championship is still very much alive. Every point scored or dropped this weekend could prove decisive in what is shaping up as one of the most dramatic title battles in recent MotoGP history. The outcome in Malaysia will be closely watched as both riders remain separated by a margin that a single race weekend can swing either way.